Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NOK) Puts Off Phablet After Microsoft Deal

Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) is apparently sitting on at least one great product ahead of the plan to sell its devices division to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). That’s according to a report from Ritsuko Ando of Reuters, which lines up with previous things we’ve heard.

Nokia had a launch planned this month

According to that report, Nokia had been planning to launch a phablet-sized device late this month. That device is expected to be a smartphone with a screen that’s larger than 5 inches. It would be the latest model in the Lumia line, which runs on Windows Phone.

According to Reuters’ sources, the launch event had been previously scheduled for New York later this month, but that event has now been delayed several weeks. The media company could not confirm a new date for the event, and a spokesperson from Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) isn’t commenting on it either.

What we’ve already heard about Nokia’s phablet

This latest report from Reuters lines up with leaks we’ve heard about the Lumia 1520, which was expected to be unveiled during an event on Sept. 26. The latest leak is as recent as last week.

The Lumia 1520 is rumored to have a 1080p 6-inch screen with a 20-megapixel rear camera. The device had been codenamed “bandit” previously, and a number of alleged photos of it have been leaked a few times in recent weeks. The device had previously been expected to land on U.S. carrier networks in November.

Nokia’s Microsoft deal still hasn’t closed

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Nokia announced on Sept. 3 that Microsoft would buy Nokia’s devices division, although that deal hasn’t closed yet. Nokia CEO and former Microsoft executive Stephen Elop is planning to return to Microsoft after the deal, and he has stepped aside because of possible conflicts of interest during the transition.

If Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) really is putting off the launch of a Windows Phone phablet device, then what remains to be seen is what will happen to this device. The deal between Nokia and Microsoft likely won’t close until the first quarter of next year, at the very earliest. This would be a significant and detrimental delay for such a key addition to the Lumia line.